1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to information processing systems, and more particularly to a system and method for providing network-accessible telemetry data which has been automatically retrieved from storage and processed for viewing, for example, by customers and/or employees of a satellite service provider.
2. Description of the Related Art
The communications industry has grown substantially over the past few decades. As a result, consumers have access to services that were never available before. In fact, entire industries have been created or greatly influenced by satellite communications, not the least of which include the commercial telecommunications and television industries.
In order to provide these services, companies usually enter into agreements with satellite providers regarding the use of one or more of transponders. In order for successful communication to take place through these transponders, the transmitting antennas, which are usually maintained by the customer, must be properly aligned with the satellite. Otherwise, degradation in service quality may occur. Misalignment is not the only anomaly that may arise during satellite communications. Modem satellites typically monitor 3,000 individual data points multiple times per second. As those in the industry are aware, a disruption in any one or more of these points could negatively influence communication performance.
FIG. 1 shows the steps typically included in a conventional method which satellite service providers use for managing customer service calls. The method begins with a customer calling a Technical Operations Center (TOC) of the satellite service provider to report a problem relating to communications quality that has occurred. (Block 1). In response to the call, a TOC operator will open a trouble ticket for the customer, even though the service window may no longer be active and therefore the problem does not currently exist. (Block 2). The TOC operator will then notify an earth station manager or analyst of the ticket, usually by phone or e-mail. (Block 3). The earth station analyst researches the problem using mostly manual techniques.
Depending upon availability, the analyst will obtain telemetry data for the customer's satellite transponder for the period of time the trouble was reported. (Block 4). Some satellite service providers have access to a tool known as the Handing Enhancement for Archiving and Retrieving Telemetry (HEART) storage system. This tool was created by GE Americom for its satellite communications department. The HEART system is a robotic CD-ROM storage device (similar to a jukebox) which stores huge amounts of Telemetry, Tracking, and Control (TT&C) data and which retrieves that data upon request under the control of a computer. In handling a trouble ticket, the earth station analyst may use a software tool called OPNHEART to respond to the customer inquiry for telemetry data from the HEART system over the relevant time period.
The telemetry data obtained by the HEART system is analyzed by the earth station analyst to create a plot of telemetry data which should confirm that a problem in fact existed (Block 5). Typically, the analyst must perform approximately thirty steps to generate this plot. The plot may then be sent to the customer or the customer may otherwise be notified of the results.
If, for example, the problem relates to a mis-alignment in the transmitting antenna, the customer may be advised to correct this mis-alignment. Once corrective action is taken, the customer may contact the TOC to inform them of the correction. (Block 6). The earth station manager may then generate a second plot of telemetry data to confirm that correction has taken place. (Block 7). Finally, the customer is notified of this confirmation and the trouble ticket is closed. (Block 8).
Conventional customer service management methods require significant human intervention, are subject to error, and are generally too slow to meet customer needs. For example, in a typical management scenario it has been determined that it takes approximately ten minutes for a TOC operator to open a trouble ticket, another ten minutes for the TOC operator to contact the earth station analyst to notify him of the problem, anywhere from thirty minutes to three hours for the earth station analyst to analyze the telemetry data and generate a plot which can be sent to the customer, and at least another ten minutes to notify the customer of the plot or the results of the analysis. These delays may be increased if the customer calls after business hours or if there are excessive numbers of trouble tickets to be processed. Taken in combination, these delays may add up to a response time by the service provider of several days or more.
All of the drawbacks of the conventional management methods introduce inefficiencies into the business of the customer and the satellite service provider. Further, the substantial human involvement that it is required increases the overhead costs of the satellite provider in terms of personnel and physical plant costs.
In view of the foregoing considerations, it is clear that there is a substantial need for an improved system and method for managing customer service calls by the satellite service provider, and moreover one which does so faster, more efficiently, and without any human intervention whatsoever.